I am offering you my wisdom. This is what I know for sure.

I was taught at an early age that heaven was an actual bright, beautiful place called paradise where you would go if you were a good and righteous person after you die. And if you were a bad person, you would descend into a fiery, dark, evil place called hell. No one knows for sure what happens to us after we die. So for now, I believe we can create our own heaven or hell right here on earth. You are the only authority in your life, and you get to choose. My quote below sums it up quite simply.

There are three sides to every story, one side, the other side, and the truth. When situations arise, there may be innocent bystanders who actually witness the truth. The people causing the chaos who refuse to accept the truth and can never take blame are in danger of losing relationships, friendships, and possibly their jobs.

The more you engage in the blame game, the more you lose in life. Accusing someone else for a negative situation is a means of defending yourself and avoiding your own flaws and weaknesses. I know because I have done this in the past. I appreciate that those challenging experiences were actually meant for me so that I could learn and grow from them. We get caught up in wanting to be right all the time and are quick to point fingers at others. We need to take responsibility for ourselves or we could be in danger of losing friendships and possibly our jobs.

When you know in your heart that you’ve said something or done something to hurt someone unintentionally (or intentionally for that matter), you should apologize. Sometimes, we will even turn it around and place blame on the other person just so that we can justify our behavior. Don’t let your ego get in the way. Simply and sincerely say you’re sorry. Nine times out of ten, that’s all the other person really wants to hear.

This image was taken at a recent celebration of Memorial Day. I revisited and revised this quote I wrote a while ago. The brighter the light shines within, the more it is reflected on the outer you. Peace ~dp

Everyone has a purpose in life and something to contribute to the world. Our talents may differ from others, but every job is important. Almost all jobs work in conjunction with other jobs which enables everyone to progress and be successful. We should respect all job titles and positions. Our jobs would be a lot easier and more enjoyable, if we could only realize that we’re all on the same team. ~dp

Whenever you are aware of self-criticism, here are some positive affirmations to repeat that will bring you back to who you really are. The list is endless, but of course, I had to stop somewhere. At the beginning of each statement, always use these two significant words: “I am.” And remember, God made you perfect.

There is a difference between loyalty and trust. You can be loyal without being trustworthy.

Loyalty
Loyalty can be termed as devotion of a person to a cause, an organization, country, or another person. A person can be loyal to someone or something, whether it’s right or wrong. Loyalty implies sticking with someone or something, even if it goes against your own self-interest. Loyalty is considered as an obligation or duty.

Trust
A trustworthy person is someone who you can rely on as being honest or truthful. You can confide in that person to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. Trustworthiness is a step higher than loyalty, because it is being loyal and righteous at the same time.

Are you happy and living a good life? If not, who are you blaming? I’m sure there are people who have hurt and offended you in the past, but you are the one who has hurt and offended you the most. You may have made some wrong choices in life, or you don’t like your appearance, or you don’t feel good enough. But you have to be with yourself every second of the day, so you better make peace with yourself. Choose to be better, forgive yourself, be happy with the outer you, and be kind and loving to yourself. The moment you make peace with yourself is when you can start to make peace with everyone else. ❤

As much as we know that death is inevitable for all beings, it is still very hard to let go of the attachment. How can we not become emotionally attached to a beautiful, loving being, an innocent, precious child, or a sweet dog or cat? Life is good, but during these times, I can’t help but wonder what the lessons are. My positive thoughts are to appreciate who we have in our lives while we still have them, and to stay attached to God, even through the difficult times.

I am blessed beyond measure. I have so much to be thankful for: this moment, this day, my life, my family, my home, my health, my ability to love, to create, to understand and be open-minded, to give, to help, and most importantly, to be proud of who I am. Desire, discipline, determination, and dedication have brought me to this point. With God’s guiding hand, I will continue to stay strong in faith, be positive, and keep moving forward to become the best I can be, in Jesus’ name, amen. ❤️

Deep breathing is a great stress reliever. Whenever you are feeling anxious or uptight, sit quietly and take some long deep breaths. Your body and mind will begin to settle down and relax into a peaceful state. Continue this process until you are feeling back to normal.